The victim’s mother, Brandy Williams, said her son traveled from his home in Rockford, Ill., to visit her in La Crosse.

She said Lee went downtown to the bars with his friends last night, went to Kwik Trip after bar time to get a snack, and left in an ambulance.

She was supposed to spend Sunday morning with her son. Instead, she talked to investigators outside the Kwik Trip where he was fatally wounded.

“This is my only son,” said Williams. “It doesn't feel real. Unless you lose a child, I guess you really don't know."

His grandfather Lester Simpson had talked to him just hours before the fight that ended his life.

"I talked to him at about 9 last night and I'm waiting on him to return my call,” said Simpson. “And I have to keep reminding myself that he's not going to call."

La Crosse resident Wesley Brandt didn't realize it at the time, but he was one of the last people to see the homicide victim alive.

He'd gone into Kwik Trip to grab some breakfast at about 3:20 Sunday morning before his early shift at work, when he saw something unusual.

"I noticed a group of people, probably five people, in the back kind of by the bathrooms. And there was someone on the ground," said Brandt.

Then he said he saw a Kwik Trip employee come out of the bathroom.

"Her hands were covered in blood," said Brandt.

La Crosse Police Capt. Robert Lawrence said the investigation leads the department to believe this was an isolated crime and there is no known additional threat to public safety.

“Obviously, it's concerning to the La Crosse Police Department and to the La Crosse community that someone who has caused the death of another -- it is very alarming. It is very concerning. But there is nothing that indicates that would happen again today, tonight," said Lawrence.

But that's little comfort to Williams.

"He had a heart, just a big heart. He used to always just hug me and kiss me and [say], 'I love you, Mom,'" said Williams.

Those are words she'll never hear from her son again.

Williams said Lee and Anderson have known each other since elementary school. Williams said Lee leaves behind a 3-year-old daughter.

Lawrence said there were several witnesses inside the store during the fight. Investigators spent Sunday interviewing those people.

Police ask anyone who has information about what happened, saw something suspicious, or has a security camera at a nearby home or business that may have captured something to call police at 608-785-5962 or Crime Stoppers at 784-TIPS.

Copyright 2013 by WKBT News8000. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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